Philadelphia Phillies fire manager Joe Girardi after 22-29 start

Joe Girardi managed a Philadelphia Phillies team with the reigning National League MVP, five 2021 All-Stars, a payroll above the luxury tax and expectations of ending the NL's longest playoff drought.

[{"selector":"#anim-cbfff780-b9c4-4492-a922-0c23683e9c9e [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f0c7f91f-5a2d-4b6d-bdee-983c99c1c43a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f982dd35-a36e-455d-96bb-0bda9463f97d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.2381%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] But buried deep in the NL East standings and with a sagging bullpen, defensive deficiencies and slumbering starts from some of the team's high-priced veterans, Girardi paid the price for Philadelphia's poor start.

[{"selector":"#anim-6e99c970-990c-450a-baaa-f6dc3893b466 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-34.19277285693595%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":5000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-eca1a19c-5b31-4dbd-9a61-3663956afc58","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-114.87342%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-31f4205b-2723-456a-ad4a-2e40b6cd2f02","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(-180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] He was fired Friday, becoming the first major league manager to lose his job this season after failing to turn a team with a record payroll into a playoff contender.

[{"selector":"#anim-ea695563-74bb-4370-a86e-24d4226274f3 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0.6217949676699988%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1a2f2398-07bc-4ab7-bbed-71f562032f54","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-43d964b1-cd2f-4178-865a-7c9552df419e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(114.96816%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] The move was made with the Phillies at 22-29, having lost seven of their past nine games and sitting in third place in the National League East, 12 games behind the New York Mets and 5½ games out of the second NL wild-card spot.

[{"selector":"#anim-c5e64bda-0c88-4b04-a66c-53f0d1fa5a53 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a7452a82-d5a6-4f9d-b4ec-05666373f14f","keyframes":[{"transform":"rotate(-540deg) scale(0.1)","opacity":0},{"transform":"none","opacity":1}],"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both","iterations":1}] Bench coach Rob Thomson was named interim manager and won his debut, 10-0 over the Los Angeles Angels.

[{"selector":"#anim-3c0575f1-d7fa-4fd3-83a8-ecc88e5d075b [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-28.90624987200394%, 0, 0) translate(-25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.14,.34,.47,.9)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-522cd1c8-4213-4b41-b61b-e5859f5e0b78","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.18987%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a830576b-0308-4c84-9530-6a05ddac410c","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] "I think we can make the playoffs. I think we're in a position where we can battle back to do that.

[{"selector":"#anim-a4461b82-3b24-4a8c-a05c-4640d52b8c94 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(17.142427583843578%, 0, 0) translate(25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.14,.34,.47,.9)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-929423cb-740b-4354-a00c-576228465899","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.18988%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9ed9eefb-8e77-4590-a9c7-c5a601f9f2a6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8c5b020d-0aac-44f0-9171-777088f0d3a7","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] I do believe that," president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said.

[{"selector":"#anim-fab34940-0c09-409d-9ae1-e9eddf3e9576 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-40.017972497641416%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-543f06fa-9f2f-4234-9036-17a652d72b9c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f7cbe9cb-1bf9-497f-b687-9499dd715ae1","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Few Philly sports fans are steadfast in that belief.